


Forget About Him

by scrims



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anxiety, Awkward Flirting, M/M, Secret Crush, gay angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 19:23:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13620060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrims/pseuds/scrims
Summary: Shikamaru's heart is aching over his secret crush, but he refuses to tell Choji who it is. Choji takes it upon himself to make his best friend cheer up and forget all about the mystery person.





	Forget About Him

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place a few months before Naruto comes back to the village.

Sat by the fireplace, bundled in warm clothes, Shikamaru continued the lamentation he’d been laying on Choji.

“It’s just…being so close to someone, for so long, but never being able to close the gap…It’s so frustrating for a while, but then it just becomes...”

“Wait. I know what you’re gonna say. A drag?” Choji said, smiling.

Shikamaru kept his eyes forward into the fire, but smiled for a moment, just for show. “More like…something you come to accept as a given. Like an eternal disappointment you have to shove to the back of your mind.”

“Hm.” Choji didn’t know what to say. He didn’t feel like he could fully relate to what Shikamaru was describing, because he wasn’t too close to any girls in the first place. And he didn’t see why a guy like Shikamaru should feel like he wouldn’t be able to close the deal with whatever chick he was talking about.

After all, he was smart, talented, funny, and was maybe the sweetest guy he knew, deep down. And besides all that, he had a unique kind of handsomeness. Any girl who’d stop thinking about Sasuke for five minutes would see that Shikamaru would make a better boyfriend than any guy in the village…At least that’s what Choji believed.

“I don’t know what to tell ya, buddy. Maybe you’ve just gotta give it some time.” Choji gave Shikamaru a pat on the back.

Shikamaru looked down. His expression seemed almost blank, but Choji knew him long enough to detect the subtle sadness in his eyes.

He started to think, who could this girl be who had such a hold on his best friend? What girl was he so close to? Oh.

“Well, I could see how it’d be tough, dealing with liking someone who likes someone else…Especially someone so short-tempered.”

Shikamaru’s eyebrows scrunched down. “What are you talking about?”

"I mean, the only girl I can think of it being is Ino…Am I wrong?”

Shikamaru laid back on the floor and covered his eyes with his hands. “It’s not…”

There was a long pause. Choji stared in bewilderment, trying to think of who else Shikamaru spent as much time with, but no one came to mind.

“It’s not a girl.”

Choji’s eyes widened. _Oh, duh. I forgot that was even an option…_

“What, you’ve never heard of a guy not liking girls? Well, it happens, OK?”

Choji couldn’t think of what to say. Shikamaru was never one to get personal, even with his best friend. Hearing that he had a crush at all was enough of a surprise.

“So what, do you think I’m weird now? Are you gonna go tell everyone?”

The heat from the fire started to burn Choji’s eyes. “I’d never do something like that to you…”

“Why aren’t you saying anything, then?!” Shikamaru snapped, his face still half covered and his cheeks red.

“I don’t want to say, uhh…The wrong thing? I mean, what you’re telling me is…you’re into a guy instead?”

Shikamaru sighed sharply.

He got up from his place on the floor and started moving toward the door.

“Shikamaru, wait!” Choji stood up and stepped after him.

Shikamaru turned around to give his friend a weak look. His eyes were red, and not just from the fire light.

Choji pulled him into a brusk hug.

The fire crackled. Choji heard a sharp sniff, and felt wet drops on his shoulder. His friend pulled out of his arms abruptly and practically crashed through the door. It was rare enough to see Shikamaru in a hurry to go anywhere, but for him to be so rushed to get out of a hug…

Choji wanted to call after him, but even next to the fire, he felt frozen.

The teapot screamed and Choji took it off the stove. Both he and Shikamaru had their backs facing either side of the house’s screen door, which led to outside, where thick fuzzy snow was falling at a steady pace. Choji from his place in the kitchen glanced behind him at Shikamaru’s shadow silhouette.

He didn’t want to do anything else to upset his friend even further, so he just hoped the cold would drive Shikamaru back inside so they could both have some tea, relax, and hopefully talk things out more effectively.

Steeping the tea, Choji still couldn’t help wondering what boy Shikamaru had his sights on. There were a lot of handsome ones in their village, but none that Choji could really see his best friend with. And what were the chances that the boy would even be able to reciprocate? The predicament came into full view.

Outside, the snowfall had Shikamaru in a reflective hold. His memory was replaying for him a night back when he and his team were new genin. He was broken out of it by the sound of the screen door opening and shutting, and gentle footsteps.

He sat still as a green wool cloth was draped over his shoulders. His friend sat down next to him, setting down two cups of tea in front of them.

“I think I get what you were talking about now.” Choji said. “You like a person, but you doubt they could ever have feelings for you…I kind of understand that.”

Shikamaru closed his eyes, not touching his tea at all.

“I remember you telling me once that guys don’t always go for super skinny girls…Hey, I guess that really does make sense now, considering…” Choji laughed a bit, but stopped due to lack of reaction. “And you told me the reverse was true too, and that I didn’t have to lose weight…Well, not to call you a liar or anything, but it doesn't seem like anyone’s interested in me as I am. So, I don’t really see myself closing any gaps either, as long as I look like this.”

Shikamaru didn’t break his silence, but he looked at Choji’s cute cheeks, dark almond eyes, and big charming smile.

“Maybe I should switch sides.” Choji took a sip of his tea.

Shikamaru’s eyes widened for a moment before going back to normal upon the rationalization that it was a joke comment. He looked away. “Don’t say things like that.”

“Sorry…”

They sat in silence. Minutes kept passing. Being next to Choji, instead of alone, was making Shikamaru more aware of the low temperature. It’s easier to be cold by yourself, to some extent. He wanted to lift the wool cloth off his shoulders, and bring Choji under it with him. But he couldn’t move a bit.

Choji sat there scratching his scalp nonchalantly. “It’s not like any guys would like me better than the girls do.”

Shikamaru exhaled through his nose, which was still kind of stuffed up from before. He finally picked up the teacup. The tea was already cold. He squeezed his eyes shut.

“But you’re going to be O.K.” Choji laid back on the wood, the same way he often did when they watched clouds together at their spot. “Even if this guy’s too dumb to see it, you’re amazing. He doesn’t know how lucky he is. Someday, someone’s going to…I promise, Shikamaru.”

With his eyes closed now too, he felt and heard the wood creak as Shikamaru laid back with him. He smiled, and then heard a whisper.

“You’re more amazing than me.”

Shikamaru’s hand was at his side, in a fist, clutching the wool cloth. He started to shiver as he spoke. “I can’t believe you put up with me, and everyone else…I’ve never met anyone else like you. Sometimes…I can hardly believe someone like you could exist.”

Choji exhaled half of a laugh.

“And I’ve always thought…”

Shikamaru never finished that sentence, and moved onto the next.

“Do you remember the B-rank mission we had in the Land of Snow?”

Choji thought back. It was a bit less than 3 years ago. “Yeah.”

“What do you remember from that?”

“I remember when you slipped on that ice patch, and got mad that we laughed.”

Shika’s voice raised and tone changed. “I wasn’t that mad!”

Choji covered his mouth to hide his grin. “But, I also remember being worried, in the moment. That you were hurt, or embarrassed. I know you’re more sensitive than you like to show…”

“O.K., move on, what else?”

He thought harder. “I remember when we got separated from Ino and Asuma sensei. And being scared, at first. But I knew we’d be fine, because you’d come up with something. And that’s exactly what happened.” He moved his hand to pat Shikamaru’s supportively. “It was much colder than this.”

“Do you remember when we…” Shikamaru tightened his grip on the wool. “Nevermind.”

Choji didn’t hesitate at all. “We slept in that cave. You shared your sleeping bag with me, even though I barely fit. And then…”

Then he did hesitate. Because he noticed he’d been unconsciously stroking Shikamaru’s hand with his index finger, trying to warm up the tiny bit of skin.

“We did this…” He forced his fingers between the gaps in Shikamaru’s, who let his fist go limp. “Do you remember that?”

“Yeah.”

Neither of them felt inclined to move or say anything else for several minutes. But the cold was starting to bite, and even their shared body heat wasn’t quite combatting it.

Choji turned his head and opened his eyes. “Can we go inside?”

Shikamaru nodded. Choji stood up, pulled the other boy up with him, and led him by hand into his bedroom.

Shikamaru gave a tentative look upon being motioned to take the bed, but went ahead at Choji’s insisting motions. Choji pulled a blanket up over Shikamaru’s body, then surprised him by getting under it himself.

“I’ll just sleep on the floor, Choji.”

“No way.”

“Choji, I don’t want you to do this for me…”

Choji turned to face the boy sharing a pillow with him, and smiled.

“I don’t want you going to this extent…Think of yourself for once.”

“Shika, is your self-esteem even lower than mine?”

Shikamaru’s face twisted a bit. “What?”

“Now that I think of it…hearing you talk about some other guy…it makes me jealous. Is that enough ‘thinking of myself’ for you?”

“What are you…”

“What if I could make you forget about him?”

Shikamaru’s twisted face fell. All he could respond with was a laugh, one he struggled to suppress so as to not wake up the other Akimichis in the house. Choji landed somewhere between confusion and annoyance, and his face flared up red. His whole head felt hot. He made a quick, straight shot for the laughing boy’s cheek. The unmistakable squeak and pop echoed.

Choji pulled away, and they both froze with locked eyes. They shared an unbearable couple of silent seconds.

“OK. You did it. I forgot all about him.”

“Oh, is that so? My plan worked?”

Shikamaru nodded. His alert expression died, and his eyes returned to their normal dull state.

Choji searched under the covers for a hand to hold. “Can you at least tell me who it was? I swear I won’t tell.”

Shikamaru settled into his place in the bed, and closed his eyes. “Sure. I’ll tell you someday.”

Choji sighed, threw his free arm over Shikamaru’s body, and pulled him in as close as he could.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my first fic, boiz. At least one more chapter for this one.


End file.
